As I've mentioned on here before, my SWAMI only allows me to have green tea & Kukicha tea since I entered in that I'm caffeine sensitive. I love both teas & drink them almost daily.

My struggle is that when I've having a day where I'm feeling tired or off-kilter, I often fall off the wagon & drive through Starbucks. I get my normal tall, no water, soy milk chai tea. At first, I feel great while drinking it & think thoughts like, "This is awesome! My SWAMI must be wrong because I'm feeling energetic & happy!" Then, a few hours later, I hit a major wall with anxiety, irritability, impatience & fatigue. I literally want to crawl into bed for the day at around 3:00 p.m.

Additionally, I'll eat avoids since my resolve is gone, which makes the situations worse. I'll get on this "crazy cycle" every 2 weeks or so for about 3-4 days. My point in sharing this is to get some advice & encouragement. It's such a struggle for me that I'm really hoping that something one of you shares with me will click & help me to stop this destructive habit. Thanks in advance for any advice/encouragement!

hopeful18,I go through milder versions of what you describe after drink soy caffe latte. As Lola mentioned there are the extra things you are getting that might be the issue. Also I feel at times soy milk in that quantity throws me off. I try to carry T-Bags, but when I don't and have the urge for black tea I try to just buy plain black tea and ask for a little soy milk to cool it down, this seems to work much better.

Hopeful,I feel for you because I go through an "off" period with sugar (in compliant cookies!) sometimes but alwaysfeel better/healthier when I follow my limits..limit being the key word! About caffeine...I do not believe in decaf..unless you have some natural stones and pure water ..because to me, the process is worse than a small amount of caffeine.Easy for me to say because I am not caffeine sensitive. Black tea is an avoid for me on swami but I do indulge some mornings. Coffee is a superfood and I enjoy it about 3 afternoons a week; tall, soy misto.(coffee and soy milk heated) When I have time at home, instead of Starbucks, I will make a small pot of organic, fair trade(from a local church member), and add my own heated almond milk....so delicious. This is how I first drank coffee in southern France. Each morning our host would have warmed milk or cream in a carafe and fresh coffee. They pour the cream into a small "drinking bowl" then add the hot coffee. The best ever!

I agree that your "additives" may be the problem. Have you tried just the tea withrice or almond milk at home? It is difficult when you have a favorite that needs adapting per swami but...well worth it. Just a note, when I drink black tea, I always add a green tea bag with it.. my way of compromise..I know, but whatever.. I also drink my compliant teas( ginger root, green, kukicha, bancha) on a regular basis.

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

Lola, as always, your posts are so helpful! I really needed a reminder of this! I'm starting a list on my phone called "No Starbucks!" "Beware of additives" will be #1. When I discuss this issue with my IRL friends, I usually get some variant of "If all you're drinking is one tall drink from starbucks maybe 4x every 2 weeks, then you're doing pretty good!" Hearing that just encourages me to keep making bad choices that are horrible for my quality of life & health. I knew that I could count on my "Dadamo Forum friends" to give me the TRUTH!

hopeful18,I go through milder versions of what you describe after drink soy caffe latte. As Lola mentioned there are the extra things you are getting that might be the issue. Also I feel at times soy milk in that quantity throws me off. I try to carry T-Bags, but when I don't and have the urge for black tea I try to just buy plain black tea and ask for a little soy milk to cool it down, this seems to work much better.

Lin, I completely agree with both you & Lola about the additives being the main problem. I'm so glad that you both said that because it just confirmed my suspicions. The soy milk could be a problem too because although it's a beneficial for me *ETA: see my post below because I just realized that soy is neutral for me*, I do better on almond milk. Lastly, thank you for the idea about carrying my own tea bags; that's a great idea! As for asking for a black tea bag, I'm scared to stay on the "black tea train" because I know having it in any form is bad for me. But, I know that at least that way I wouldn't be getting the yucky additives.

Hopeful,I feel for you because I go through an "off" period with sugar (in compliant cookies!) sometimes but alwaysfeel better/healthier when I follow my limits..limit being the key word! About caffeine...I do not believe in decaf..unless you have some natural stones and pure water ..because to me, the process is worse than a small amount of caffeine.Easy for me to say because I am not caffeine sensitive. Black tea is an avoid for me on swami but I do indulge some mornings. Coffee is a superfood and I enjoy it about 3 afternoons a week; tall, soy misto.(coffee and soy milk heated) When I have time at home, instead of Starbucks, I will make a small pot of organic, fair trade(from a local church member), and add my own heated almond milk....so delicious. This is how I first drank coffee in southern France. Each morning our host would have warmed milk or cream in a carafe and fresh coffee. They pour the cream into a small "drinking bowl" then add the hot coffee. The best ever!

I agree that your "additives" may be the problem. Have you tried just the tea withrice or almond milk at home? It is difficult when you have a favorite that needs adapting per swami but...well worth it. Just a note, when I drink black tea, I always add a green tea bag with it.. my way of compromise..I know, but whatever.. I also drink my compliant teas( ginger root, green, kukicha, bancha) on a regular basis.

Cajun, wow, it's so nice to know that I'm not the only one experiencing this! I feel so weak, but I know that kicking each bad habit/addiction is a process & takes time. The French method you experienced of drinking coffee sounds amazing! In October of 2011, I gave up my daily 2 giant mugs of homemade 2 shot espresso lattes (with cows milk & sugar in the raw). I thought that I was being so "healthy!" Little did I know that I was drinking a drink that was 100% toxic for me 2x/day. I had to quit those because they were putting me on a much worse emotional/exhaustion inducing roller coaster than the chai teas do. I was able to quit them pretty easily, but I replaced them with chai teas-Ugh! Now, here I am stuck in this process again.

It's interesting that you mentioned decaf because I spent some time last week researching it because I thought maybe if I started having one small cup of decaf at home in the mornings, then it would curtail my desire for the chai tea lattes. I bought a bag of "Swiss water processed" decaf whole bean coffee from WF last week. I was so excited & thought it might solve my problems at least short term. My small cup of decaf coffee immediately made me nauseous (I had a full stomach too), dizzy, shaky, super anxious & fatigued. I poured it out about 1/2 full & drank a bunch of water. I still didn't feel normal again until the next morning! Any thoughts on that? Of course, I could argue that I'm extremely sensitive to caffeine.

No, I haven't tried adding almond milk to my green tea or kukicha tea. I will try that tomorrow!

I just looked at my SWAMI again & I saw that soy milk is a neutral for me. Wow. I have no idea why I've been thinking that it was a beneficial. So, a soy chai tea latte has no beneficials in it for me. I'll add that to my list.

Hopeful,I so admire your determination! You've gone through alot already, so I know you will be fine. You are wise listening to your body. You sound like an explorer instead of a teacher. I find it interesting that you have a much higher percentage of teacher in you than I do and yet I am fine with caffeine and have other explorer qualities.

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

Hopeful,I so admire your determination! You've gone through alot already, so I know you will be fine. You are wise listening to your body. You sound like an explorer instead of a teacher. I find it interesting that you have a much higher percentage of teacher in you than I do and yet I am fine with caffeine and have other explorer qualities.

Cajun, thank you so much for your kind words & encouragement.

Due to my caffeine sensitivity, I thought that I could possibly be an explorer, but I was never close to it even with the GTD measurements alone. My SWAMI confirmed that I'm a teacher, but my issues with caffeine are definitely explorer-like.

Hopeful, yes you have some explorer qualities with that caffeine sensitivity. I will ditto Cajun's comments, almond milk is great. Which reminds me that I sometimes make rooibos tea and add a little almond milk and I swear it tastes better than regular black tea. A richer flavour.Lin

Hopeful, you're moving in the right direction and things like caffeine/coffee addictions or sensitivities can derail the strongest of us!

I managed to finally kick a 40 year coffee/espresso addiction by way of chai. It really satisfied something that coffee had addressed - hot, sweet, creamy, with a 'bite' to it. As I finally got stabilized from coffee, I was able to see that the chai had things in it that were really not good for me, but it was a start.

What I did then was to develop my own chai spice blend at home and brew my own chai with kukicha tea. That worked great and I was able to gradually decrease the frequency until now I am drinking only my beloved green or genmaicha green tea very happily.

You could get some of those refillable tea bags and put your own 'chai' spice mixture, along with kukicha to take with you in the car. If you have a crazy attack you could have that with hot water. Or with a small dash of soy milk added.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.~Mary Jean Irion

Hopeful, yes you have some explorer qualities with that caffeine sensitivity. I will ditto Cajun's comments, almond milk is great. Which reminds me that I sometimes make rooibos tea and add a little almond milk and I swear it tastes better than regular black tea. A richer flavour.Lin

Lin, thank you for the suggestion about rooibos tea (neutral for me) & almond milk. That sounds yummy! I just added that to my list.

Hopeful, you're moving in the right direction and things like caffeine/coffee addictions or sensitivities can derail the strongest of us!

I managed to finally kick a 40 year coffee/espresso addiction by way of chai. It really satisfied something that coffee had addressed - hot, sweet, creamy, with a 'bite' to it. As I finally got stabilized from coffee, I was able to see that the chai had things in it that were really not good for me, but it was a start.

What I did then was to develop my own chai spice blend at home and brew my own chai with kukicha tea. That worked great and I was able to gradually decrease the frequency until now I am drinking only my beloved green or genmaicha green tea very happily.

You could get some of those refillable tea bags and put your own 'chai' spice mixture, along with kukicha to take with you in the car. If you have a crazy attack you could have that with hot water. Or with a small dash of soy milk added.

Victoria, congrats on kicking your 40 year coffee habit! That's inspiring! I had the same plan to switch from espresso to chai tea & then to green tea/kukicha. Some days, I'm totally content with that & others, as you said, I have a "crazy attack!" . I have been surprised to see how much stronger my addiction is to chai tea lattes than it was to the homemade lattes with espresso.

Thank you so much for the idea of making my own chai tea/kukicha mixture to take along in the car with me! I just added that to my list too!

It is! I really feel like I would've given up when I started with ERFYT in December 2011 without my Dadamo Forum internet buddies. Now, I know my Genotype, have a SWAMI & have made some super cool strides. Now, to kick this chai tea habit for good!

I can't have caffeine drinks as they give me supraventricular tachycardia and send me to the emergency room, but somehow chocolate does not bother me....possibly the fat in chocolate causes the caffeine to be released slowly? I don't know if chocolate is allowed in your diet but it might be a way to get a little pick me up without bad side effects?

Coffee is a black dot for me and green tea is a diamond. My goal this month is to kick my caffeine habit, completely.

I am estrogen dominant and find that my estrogen levels spike after drinking coffee or green tea. I am having a cup today after sleeping 3-4 hours and working through the night. I did not sleep much the day before, too.

I noticed that my periods are more painful when I drink coffee throughout the month. Green tea is not as bad but it still contains caffeine. In addition, due to the hormonal imbalance, I notice that I end up "shedding" hair when my estrogen level spike.

I get jittery and hyper when I drink too much coffee. I do not feel hungry, either but have this weird shakiness and hypoglycemic feeling, though.

Yesterday, I offset my coffee (always black) with superfoods. I still felt the effects of the caffeine, though.

I can't have caffeine drinks as they give me supraventricular tachycardia and send me to the emergency room, but somehow chocolate does not bother me....possibly the fat in chocolate causes the caffeine to be released slowly? I don't know if chocolate is allowed in your diet but it might be a way to get a little pick me up without bad side effects?

Kibble, wow, you have a severe reaction to caffeine. I've never heard of that before.

Unfortunately, chocolate is a black dot avoid for me. Technically, I can have it since my wash-out period is over, but I'm choosing to not reintroduce any black dots on purpose. By on purpose, I mean that I'm not going to plan on buying them from the grocery store. If I slip up at a restaurant, that will just go into my non-compliant % for the month.

Coffee is a black dot for me and green tea is a diamond. My goal this month is to kick my caffeine habit, completely.

I am estrogen dominant and find that my estrogen levels spike after drinking coffee or green tea. I am having a cup today after sleeping 3-4 hours and working through the night. I did not sleep much the day before, too.

I noticed that my periods are more painful when I drink coffee throughout the month. Green tea is not as bad but it still contains caffeine. In addition, due to the hormonal imbalance, I notice that I end up "shedding" hair when my estrogen level spike.

I get jittery and hyper when I drink too much coffee. I do not feel hungry, either but have this weird shakiness and hypoglycemic feeling, though.

Yesterday, I offset my coffee (always black) with superfoods. I still felt the effects of the caffeine, though.

So... I guess this is my way of serving divorce papers to coffee.

Passionprincess, the description of the effects that caffeine has on you match mine exactly. I don't get hungry when I have anything stronger than green tea. But, I also get a weird shakiness like you. I'm also restless. For example, if I'm on the phone, I'll wonder aimlessly around the house instead of doing housework or sitting down.

How do you know that you're estrogen dominant? I've taken several online tests (just questions) that have pegged me as having estrogen dominance also. I was using progesterone for awhile, but stopped because I felt like I could be damaging my hormones since I didn't have a blood test to diagnose this. Also, I totally shed way too much hair! I've never seen a correlation to that & a caffeine-induced estrogen spike. Thanks for sharing because I'll be looking for that now.

Listening to you talk about the coffee habits really makes me happy that I could never stand the flavor of the stuff... I like chocolate, but it has to be greater than 70% cocoa mass or else it is too sweet...

I've been with Dr. D'Adamo since the mid-ninetys. What has kept me going is what he stated in one of his early books. As Americans he understands what's out there and how we're tempted. He helped me by stating that if we only "fall off the wagon" once a week our systems can usually handle it. A good example of this was of a case history of a Jewish patient in his seventies. The man was/is a type B and was bedridden when the doctor saw him. He finally regained his health but only after eliminating chicken from his diet. It was an ingredient in one of the gentleman's favorite dishes and he ate it quite often. When his health was recovered, I remember doctor wrote that he told his care giver that she could prepare him that meal once a week.

Try to remember that this is a life change...not a diet. Yes, we'll slip now and again, and, sometimes may even go on a multi-day binge. But as time goes by we come to realize the more we avoid our "Avoids", the better we feel and the healthier our bodies. Wishing you the best.

I've been with Dr. D'Adamo since the mid-ninetys. What has kept me going is what he stated in one of his early books. As Americans he understands what's out there and how we're tempted. He helped me by stating that if we only "fall off the wagon" once a week our systems can usually handle it. A good example of this was of a case history of a Jewish patient in his seventies. The man was/is a type B and was bedridden when the doctor saw him. He finally regained his health but only after eliminating chicken from his diet. It was an ingredient in one of the gentleman's favorite dishes and he ate it quite often. When his health was recovered, I remember doctor wrote that he told his care giver that she could prepare him that meal once a week.

Try to remember that this is a life change...not a diet. Yes, we'll slip now and again, and, sometimes may even go on a multi-day binge. But as time goes by we come to realize the more we avoid our "Avoids", the better we feel and the healthier our bodies. Wishing you the best.

Rattabone, thank you so much for sharing what has helped you. The story you shared about the bedridden man who cut his chicken intake down to once/wk. helped me greatly. I've been trying to focus on the strives that I have made towards a higher level of compliance & that helps me to stay more compliant instead of getting down when I go off track. I agree completely that this is a lifestyle change & I won't go back to my old ways of eating!

After getting inspiration from those who have replied (thank you all! you're the best!!!) to my question, I bought some Yogi Green Chai tea. I've been steeping it in hot water for 3 min., adding some honey & then some almond milk. Of course, it isn't the same as a Starbucks Chai tea, but it's meeting that need that I have for something warm, milky & spicy after lunch. After more closely inspecting the ingredients, I saw that it has black pepper in it which is an avoid for me. Instead of throwing it out, I'm going to keep drinking it because having only the black pepper instead of the black pepper (which I think is in most commercial Chai mixes) & the yucky additives in the Starbucks Chai is the lesser of two evils. It's been so refreshing to be off the crazy train for the last 2 days. It's so incredible to feel like myself!

I suspected estrogen dominance because I had terrible acne and unbelievable menstrual cramps. In addition, I am Korean. My mother and sisters have A cup boobs. I have DD cups at 5'3"! I am skinny otherwise at 100 lbs and wear juniors for clothes. My flow is super heavy and persists. I would get frequent vaginal yeast infections, too.

The candida cleanse helped a lot but the cramps and vaginal yeast infections disappeared literally after I started using progesterone cream. I noticed that if I drank a lot of coffee and did not drink enough water - vaginal yeast infection! I read that coffee spikes the estrogen levels in Asian women. High estrogen levels can cause yeast infections. In addition, my mouth would swell into a "duck bill" shape when I drank enough coffee (another sign of estrogen dominance). I would also break out into hives.

Being 100% compliant, dropping caffeine (including green tea) and using progesterone cream has really helped my condition. I also tracked when I was shedding hair... it happened to be after my period when my progesterone levels were low and estrogen levels were high. I also limit using cosmetics and use a Dr. Bronner's mixture to wash my hair. I am avoiding all xenoestrogens as much as I can.

I compiled info on estrogen dominance from various sources online. Another hint - if you crave chocolate before your period, it is because you are magnesium deficient which is another sign of being estrogen dominant. I crave dark chocolate but never sugary stuff. I do not crave chocolate since following GTD and taking magnesium supps (Dr. D. found that Bs are especially deficient in magnesium).

Passionprincess, the description of the effects that caffeine has on you match mine exactly. I don't get hungry when I have anything stronger than green tea. But, I also get a weird shakiness like you. I'm also restless. For example, if I'm on the phone, I'll wonder aimlessly around the house instead of doing housework or sitting down.

How do you know that you're estrogen dominant? I've taken several online tests (just questions) that have pegged me as having estrogen dominance also. I was using progesterone for awhile, but stopped because I felt like I could be damaging my hormones since I didn't have a blood test to diagnose this. Also, I totally shed way too much hair! I've never seen a correlation to that & a caffeine-induced estrogen spike. Thanks for sharing because I'll be looking for that now.

I recently gave up all sources of caffeine...even tea. Today is day four and i feel more relaxed for sure. Caffeine is prob the biggest toxin explorers struggle with (at least this explorer

It raises stress hormones for me. The first two days, i felt like i could not think and did not want to move. I have been doing exercise that makes me sweat, so i feel clean, also drinking a lot of water.

I suspected estrogen dominance because I had terrible acne and unbelievable menstrual cramps. In addition, I am Korean. My mother and sisters have A cup boobs. I have DD cups at 5'3"! I am skinny otherwise at 100 lbs and wear juniors for clothes. My flow is super heavy and persists. I would get frequent vaginal yeast infections, too.

The candida cleanse helped a lot but the cramps and vaginal yeast infections disappeared literally after I started using progesterone cream. I noticed that if I drank a lot of coffee and did not drink enough water - vaginal yeast infection! I read that coffee spikes the estrogen levels in Asian women. High estrogen levels can cause yeast infections. In addition, my mouth would swell into a "duck bill" shape when I drank enough coffee (another sign of estrogen dominance). I would also break out into hives.

Being 100% compliant, dropping caffeine (including green tea) and using progesterone cream has really helped my condition. I also tracked when I was shedding hair... it happened to be after my period when my progesterone levels were low and estrogen levels were high. I also limit using cosmetics and use a Dr. Bronner's mixture to wash my hair. I am avoiding all xenoestrogens as much as I can.

I compiled info on estrogen dominance from various sources online. Another hint - if you crave chocolate before your period, it is because you are magnesium deficient which is another sign of being estrogen dominant. I crave dark chocolate but never sugary stuff. I do not crave chocolate since following GTD and taking magnesium supps (Dr. D. found that Bs are especially deficient in magnesium).

You've given me a lot to think about. I read the articles you linked & I have many of the estrogen dominant symptoms. This has convinced me to begin using my progesterone cream regularly again. Also, my cramps/heavy flow are way worse when I'm drinking anything with caffeine in it that's stronger than green tea. I was 100% compliant with that for a few months & saw good results, but fell off the wagon. Now, I'm convinced again to stay 100% compliant with this. There are other avoids that don't seem to affect me as quickly & negatively. It's so strange how that all works out for each of us!

Like you, I'm a small person, 5'5" & about 110 lbs. I don't have the big boob problem, although I wouldn't mind it! I've never struggled with acne. But, the cycle issues & hair loss are something we have in common. I do crave chocolate before my periods. I've been supplementing with Magnesium for about 1 year now, but I still crave it. Weird. I don't give into that craving very often now that I rarely buy chocolate. But, I do want to buy that avoid-filled Starbucks Chai Tea during PMS. Ugh. I feel such high resolve now that my cycle is winding down, but in about a month, it's so hard for me to stay compliant. It's like I lose my ability to reason well. I'm hoping that me taking Fem Balance, Trehalose, Coritguard & Tranquility base will help with all of that.

I recently gave up all sources of caffeine...even tea. Today is day four and i feel more relaxed for sure. Caffeine is prob the biggest toxin explorers struggle with (at least this explorer

It raises stress hormones for me. The first two days, i felt like i could not think and did not want to move. I have been doing exercise that makes me sweat, so i feel clean, also drinking a lot of water.

EasyE, congrats on giving up all caffeine! That's awesome!

Due to the association between Explorers & caffeine sensitivity, I thought I might have been an Explorer. But alas, I'm a Teacher. I'm pretty sure that it raises stress hormones for me too. At this point, green tea doesn't.

When I quiet espresso in October of 2011, I felt like I was dying. It was horrible! Way to go getting past those first though days! Now, just stick to it!

Thanks! Caffeine can trigger allergies and autoimmune conditions, cause indigestion, cause mood imbalances, hormonal imbalances, reduce blood flow to the brain, and others (i saw a clip on you tube. I'm sure it does different things for different people though, as some people do well with some caffeine.

I have read that it can take awhile for the body to really rebalance itself all the way, so i am excited to see how i feel as the days go on! I have never given up all caffeine since i was in high school!

This site was super helpful. I had read elsewhere that all you needed to do was apply the cream around your 14th day or in sync with the moon phases. WRONG! All it did was prevent ovulation, which made things worse.

Coffee is a diamond in my Swami ... I have to include it in my healthy regime (1 cup a day, sometimes 2) ... We are all individuals in our make up ... the journey here is to try to understand that make up as much as we can to nourish it to its maximum potential ...

Good going, Easy E! Great discipline there! Cristina, I have coffee as a diamond on my swami...guess we are fortunate. I drink it about 2 or 3 times a week and really enjoy it but just prefer tea each morning. Now, if only I could manage to get black tea as a super? no? ok

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

This site was super helpful. I had read elsewhere that all you needed to do was apply the cream around your 14th day or in sync with the moon phases. WRONG! All it did was prevent ovulation, which made things worse.

If you're going to Starbucks because you're craving a specific type of beverage, then making your own at home is a good idea. It probably won't taste exactly the same. What you want is something delicious and satisfying, not neccessarily something that tastes like your old favorite.

But if you're meeting up with friends at Starbucks, you can still join them. Starbucks DOES sell plain green tea. The times I've found myself at a Starbucks with friends, that's exactly what I got. I had something warm to drink in a Starbucks cup while chatting with friends eating their Starbucks beverages (and often foods too.) OK, so I paid as much for one cup as I would for a month's worth of loose tea to brew at home, but I didn't feel isolated and I had something healthy to drink that didn't make me feel awful later.

If you're going to Starbucks because you're craving a specific type of beverage, then making your own at home is a good idea. It probably won't taste exactly the same. What you want is something delicious and satisfying, not neccessarily something that tastes like your old favorite.

But if you're meeting up with friends at Starbucks, you can still join them. Starbucks DOES sell plain green tea. The times I've found myself at a Starbucks with friends, that's exactly what I got. I had something warm to drink in a Starbucks cup while chatting with friends eating their Starbucks beverages (and often foods too.) OK, so I paid as much for one cup as I would for a month's worth of loose tea to brew at home, but I didn't feel isolated and I had something healthy to drink that didn't make me feel awful later.

Ruthie, I made my own chai tea at home with no black tea. I went overboard on the spices, so it turned out badly. I'll try it again soon, using less spices, when I can get over how gross it was!

I've gotten the green tea at Starbucks several times too. It's a great idea! I just have to put the crazy cost of one tea bag & hot water out of my head. I tend to think, "if I'm going to pay that much for green tea, I might as well spend $1.50 more & get the good stuff!" Oh, the extent I will go to when I'm addicted to something. But, it is way better to "overpay" for a bene than to "way overpay" for a drink full of avoids for me!

I recently gave up all sources of caffeine...even tea. Today is day four and i feel more relaxed for sure. Caffeine is prob the biggest toxin explorers struggle with (at least this explorer

It raises stress hormones for me. The first two days, i felt like i could not think and did not want to move. I have been doing exercise that makes me sweat, so i feel clean, also drinking a lot of water.

I haven't had a caffeinated drink in over 3 years. It's probably more like 4. And I think I'm the better for it. I even tried some decaf at Panera about 2 years ago and 1/4 cup of it made me feel weird. Ramped up. Maybe it's the decaf process. I don't know. But even the green tea I buy is decaf.

I do however, eat a little bit of chocolates some days and don't feel any worse for the wear. Just like Joe though, it's 70% or above. And it's not a whole lot when I do eat it. If I ate a whole or even half of a bar, I think I'd be ramped up again, like drinking coffee.

Hopeful, you're looking at a 2 latte a day guy. I did this for a long time. Some of them were doubles. I also then switched to chai's. They seemed a little more soothing. And then I eventually gave those up too. I think they add sugar to those at starbucks. They do taste really nice though. I love that flavor. I think it's cardamom, cinnamon, and a few other things. Some kind of tea and maybe clove? Victoria must know what's all in it. I have some explorer traits also. Even though I'm a secretor. I've had genetic testing done that showed quite a few problems with my detox system. Which can make a person sensitive to drugs and certain substances like caffeine.

The poster formerly known as "ABNOWAY"

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." - Phillipians 4:8

I haven't had a caffeinated drink in over 3 years. It's probably more like 4. And I think I'm the better for it. I even tried some decaf at Panera about 2 years ago and 1/4 cup of it made me feel weird. Ramped up. Maybe it's the decaf process. I don't know. But even the green tea I buy is decaf.

I do however, eat a little bit of chocolates some days and don't feel any worse for the wear. Just like Joe though, it's 70% or above. And it's not a whole lot when I do eat it. If I ate a whole or even half of a bar, I think I'd be ramped up again, like drinking coffee.

Hopeful, you're looking at a 2 latte a day guy. I did this for a long time. Some of them were doubles. I also then switched to chai's. They seemed a little more soothing. And then I eventually gave those up too. I think they add sugar to those at starbucks. They do taste really nice though. I love that flavor. I think it's cardamom, cinnamon, and a few other things. Some kind of tea and maybe clove? Victoria must know what's all in it. I have some explorer traits also. Even though I'm a secretor. I've had genetic testing done that showed quite a few problems with my detox system. Which can make a person sensitive to drugs and certain substances like caffeine.

JJR, that's super encouraging to me that you've been able to transition from lattes to chai tea lattes to no caffeine/decaf. I now know for sure that it just takes time & not giving up to stop eating/drinking avoids.

Those spices that you listed are what's in the "no black tea chai recipe" that I tried. I'm planning on trying it again with less spices since I ruined it last time. It had way too much of something. Clove, maybe?

Just a side note concerning caffinated/decaffinated beverages. If it comes in a bag (tea or coffee), to decaffinate, simply immerse in boiling water and count to 30. Remove the bag (no need to squeeze); the reimmerse in fresh water.

This information was passed on to me by an employee at our local, upscale tea house. The owner told her that most or the caffine escapes within the first 30 seconds. I don't know if decaffinated is more expensive than caffinated (don't ever buy it) but I've read that the commercial decaffinated process uses an ingredient found in rat poisoning.

I've gotten the green tea at Starbucks several times too. It's a great idea! I just have to put the crazy cost of one tea bag & hot water out of my head. I tend to think, "if I'm going to pay that much for green tea, I might as well spend $1.50 more & get the good stuff!" Oh, the extent I will go to when I'm addicted to something. But, it is way better to "overpay" for a bene than to "way overpay" for a drink full of avoids for me!

You're not paying $1.50 for 5 cents worth of tea. You're paying 5 cents for the tea and $1.45 for the atmosphere and the experience of sharing a hot cup with your friends at Starbucks.

And the plain green tea is "the good stuff." Why pay more for sugar and additives that will only make you feel sick?

You can also invite your friends to your house for tea and chat instead of always going out for beverages. Or see if they want to get their drinks "to go" and you bring something from home, which you then share at a local park. There are plenty of alternatives if you take the time to seek them out. Or, if your friends are really married to the idea of sitting in Starbucks, join them with the safe green tea. Depending on how often you do this, it's not THAT expensive if you think of it as part of your "entertainment budget" rather than thinking of it as "overpriced green tea."

Just a side note concerning caffinated/decaffinated beverages. If it comes in a bag (tea or coffee), to decaffinate, simply immerse in boiling water and count to 30. Remove the bag (no need to squeeze); the reimmerse in fresh water.

This information was passed on to me by an employee at our local, upscale tea house. The owner told her that most or the caffine escapes within the first 30 seconds. I don't know if decaffinated is more expensive than caffinated (don't ever buy it) but I've read that the commercial decaffinated process uses an ingredient found in rat poisoning.

So, if you want to try it, let us know what you think.

That is a concept that is new to me. I'll definitely have to try it! Thanks for sharing!

You're not paying $1.50 for 5 cents worth of tea. You're paying 5 cents for the tea and $1.45 for the atmosphere and the experience of sharing a hot cup with your friends at Starbucks.

And the plain green tea is "the good stuff." Why pay more for sugar and additives that will only make you feel sick?

You can also invite your friends to your house for tea and chat instead of always going out for beverages. Or see if they want to get their drinks "to go" and you bring something from home, which you then share at a local park. There are plenty of alternatives if you take the time to seek them out. Or, if your friends are really married to the idea of sitting in Starbucks, join them with the safe green tea. Depending on how often you do this, it's not THAT expensive if you think of it as part of your "entertainment budget" rather than thinking of it as "overpriced green tea."

Ruthie, as always, you have great insight. From my last response to you, I made it seem that I'm tempted to go to Starbucks through meeting up with friends. The drive-thru is where I really struggle because I pass it many times per day.

On a good note, I have gotten a green tea instead of the drink I should avoid several times. I'm getting closer!

Starbucks is the McDonalds of Coffee. Hehehheheheh. They get us hooked somehow or another. You can overcome the addiction. It just takes time. Plus, I'm kind of fanatical in my ways anyways. So when I make up my mind to do something, I go all out. Like when I quit smoking, I quit cold turkey. And I didn't get any physical withdrawals. Which probably was some help from the LORD in that. In all of this. But I do notice others seem to take a little bit more time sometimes. It's OK. I think it's just different personalities. I don't always change that quick either. Like I said, I drank Chai's for a while too. But that was all pre BTD. I didn't think they were that bad for me at the time. And they sure tasted good!!!! Either way, you are to be commended for at least thinking about your health, taking action and questioning what the world thinks is OK. It's easy to follow what everyone else is doing. But it's not always the best thing. Although I really don't see a problem with hanging out at starbucks once in a while. But I guess every day a couple times a day, like I used to do, is probably not a good idea. Hard on the wallet and the body. hehehhee

The poster formerly known as "ABNOWAY"

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." - Phillipians 4:8

Starbucks is the McDonalds of Coffee. Hehehheheheh. They get us hooked somehow or another. You can overcome the addiction. It just takes time. Plus, I'm kind of fanatical in my ways anyways. So when I make up my mind to do something, I go all out. Like when I quit smoking, I quit cold turkey. And I didn't get any physical withdrawals. Which probably was some help from the LORD in that. In all of this. But I do notice others seem to take a little bit more time sometimes. It's OK. I think it's just different personalities. I don't always change that quick either. Like I said, I drank Chai's for a while too. But that was all pre BTD. I didn't think they were that bad for me at the time. And they sure tasted good!!!! Either way, you are to be commended for at least thinking about your health, taking action and questioning what the world thinks is OK. It's easy to follow what everyone else is doing. But it's not always the best thing. Although I really don't see a problem with hanging out at starbucks once in a while. But I guess every day a couple times a day, like I used to do, is probably not a good idea. Hard on the wallet and the body. hehehhee

JJR, wow, I agree with you that Starbucks is like the McDonald's of coffee. I've never thought of it like that before. That analogy will help me to keep staying away. That's great that you were able to quit smoking cold turkey. I've only been able to quit a few things cold turkey in my life & it was stuff that I wasn't emotionally attached to. That's where I'm addicted, because driving thru has/had become the quick fix for stress, being tired or lazy.

Here's where I have to brag on my awesome DH. I texted him a photo of the Breville tea maker that I discovered at the Teavana store at my local mall. I rarely go to the mall, so this was my first time in Teavana. Anyways, I was kinda joking, due to the high price tag, that I wanted it for Mother's Day. Well, he researched it on Amazon & ordered it for me! I've had it for 3 days now & it is wonderful to wake up to warm green tea ready to be poured in my mug/to-go cup. I haven't gone to Starbucks since last Tuesday! Yay!

OT, but I wanted to wish all of the BTD/GTD/SWAMI Mother's out there a fabulous "Happy Mother's Day!"

I have generally done just fine with caffeine in general, though I've often favored green tea daily for its benefits and have been buying/drinking it for almost 30 years. It's generally been my go-to pick-me-up if I need a kick in the afternoon.But:I've recently had to face that it isn't working for me these days, while I'm processing Rx drugs that have caused some drowsiness: What DOES work is that wonderful Bsec-neutral: Coffee! So smooth and easy, no jitters or other bad effects. Very nice. And no sleep-depriving effects later in the evening, either.

Trial and error revealed this. Sometimes something is called for, even if it's not our usual solution.

D'Adamo proponent since 1997dadamo Blogger and Forum participant since 2005Cyber-Newbie, as of 2004

I have generally done just fine with caffeine in general, though I've often favored green tea daily for its benefits and have been buying/drinking it for almost 30 years. It's generally been my go-to pick-me-up if I need a kick in the afternoon.But:I've recently had to face that it isn't working for me these days, while I'm processing Rx drugs that have caused some drowsiness: What DOES work is that wonderful Bsec-neutral: Coffee! So smooth and easy, no jitters or other bad effects. Very nice. And no sleep-depriving effects later in the evening, either.

Trial and error revealed this. Sometimes something is called for, even if it's not our usual solution.

san j, I agree with you completely! This way of living/eating has taught me that each of us is unique in what we need to eat. I'm so happy that you were able to look at what your body was needing & act on it.

san j, I agree with you completely! This way of living/eating has taught me that each of us is unique in what we need to eat. I'm so happy that you were able to look at what your body was needing & act on it.

hopeful18:I think it would be a mistake to think my body was "needing" coffee. There's a difference between what the body "needs" and Simple Pragmatism.Coffee is, for the moment, what is providing an energy-boost in the afternoon, so I'll go with that while it works, seeing as it hasn't proved bad for This Individual.

And I'm gratified that you're on board the Individuality train.

D'Adamo proponent since 1997dadamo Blogger and Forum participant since 2005Cyber-Newbie, as of 2004

Well, after over a month of only green tea, I fell into the mentality that maybe I'm not caffeine sensitive. Two days ago, I drank a one-shot decaf (organic & Swiss water method), almond milk with honey latte. Within an hour of sipping on it, I started to feel like I had a stomach bug. My symptoms were horrible pains in my stomach, dizziness, exhaustion & a small headache. I also had loss of appetite. This continued for the rest of the day.

The following morning, after my second (same as above) home-made latte, the above symptoms set in, but 10x worse. I barely made it through the day. When my I got home for the night with my kids, I had to lay on our bed without moving for 3 hours while my DH did the night-time routine with our kids alone. I couldn't eat dinner or drink water until 3 hours after I had laid down. I was so sure that I was going to start vomiting with diarrhea at any moment. I didn't. So, I was able to slowly get ready for bed, take some colloidal silver, followed by probiotic powder 30 minutes later. I also took oral arnica for my pain & headache.

Now, it's almost lunch time on the 3rd day & I still feel pretty badly. My stomach keeps seizing up & my bowels are not happy with me. Maybe now I can get it through my head that I will be caffeine sensitive forever.

Victoria, you have a great point. I just did some quick online research & the black tea that I used to drink has the most mg of caffeine. I'm not sure which one has more, my decaf coffee or jasmine green tea? Either way, your idea definitely seems true.

Jane, I've thought the same thing. Regardless, it's shown me that either the coffee caused this illness or compounded a bug that I got at the same time.

hopeful18 - If you ever shop at Mountain Rose Herbs, they have a teriffic chai tea that is made with roobios as a base rather than black tea - it's wonderful. I bring it to a simmer in soy milk (of course you can use whatever type of milk you prefer) then take it off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes, strain, add sweetener, and voila! It's delicious hot or iced

chrissyA, it's so good to hear from you! I am thrilled about the firefly chai link that you listed. I'm going to buy it right now! It sounds awesome! I've tried to make my own compliant recipes of it at home & none have turned out good. So, I'm excited to try this! Thank you!

I am caffeine sensitive and my SWAMI moved coffee over to avoids and left green tea as a diamond. Well, I have noticed now since being very strict 100% compliant the past few weeks that even green tea makes me rather irritable to the point of needing anger management. It is amazing how sensitive I get while on strict SWAMI. Goodbye green tea and all caffeinated products FOREVER.

Adam, I know what you mean! It does seem that the stricter I am with following my swami the more sensitive I am to avoids! I thought it would be the opposite. Just curious, did you ever react to black tea the same way you did to coffee and green tea?

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

I am caffeine sensitive and my SWAMI moved coffee over to avoids and left green tea as a diamond. Well, I have noticed now since being very strict 100% compliant the past few weeks that even green tea makes me rather irritable to the point of needing anger management. It is amazing how sensitive I get while on strict SWAMI. Goodbye green tea and all caffeinated products FOREVER.

It is possible that the strictness is causing(allowing) the body to expel more waste, which is prompting the issues... There may be something in the green tea that you need for healing, you may just need less of it to be able to tolerate the symptoms...

Adam, Just curious, did you ever react to black tea the same way you did to coffee and green tea?

I don't really remember, it's been a long time ago when I last drank black tea. I used to enjoy a peach flavored black tea, but I wasn't doing the no wheat thing back then. I think it's really the lack of wheat that's really doing this. I seem to be 'on the edge' all the time. I guess I'm going to be taking GABA on a regular basis now.

It is possible that the strictness is causing(allowing) the body to expel more waste, which is prompting the issues... There may be something in the green tea that you need for healing, you may just need less of it to be able to tolerate the symptoms...

You are definitely right about expelling more waste. It is definitely happening. I was thinking about having a bit of green tea in the morning, but not steeping it so long. Good suggestion, ABJoe.

Good going, Easy E! Great discipline there! Cristina, I have coffee as a diamond on my swami...guess we are fortunate. I drink it about 2 or 3 times a week and really enjoy it but just prefer tea each morning. Now, if only I could manage to get black tea as a super? no? ok

I started drinking coffee (black with honey) again. I thought it was causing me acid reflux problems, but i don't think that was the case. Coffee seems to be protective for me and works like medicine (thought this even before knowing the btd existed!)

Though an explorer, i would think swami would show coffee as good. For some reason, black tea does not feel the same way. I used to put that sweet vanilla cream in my coffee though, so that caused problems. Black with honey or sugar causes no problems for me.

I was having trouble breaking rebound effects from proton pump inhibitors (could barely eat anything). Then I took pepcid complete and this helped with all rebound, then after awhile, stopped it, and now the acid reflux is not a problem at all!